Woman repeats suicide vow

Mrs Ivol has made her own funeral arrangements

A cannabis-smoking multiple sclerosis sufferer who failed to commit suicide has vowed to keep trying until she succeeds.

Elizabeth Ivol, from Orkney, was admitted to Balfour Hospital in Kirkwall last week after taking an overdose of paracetamol.

Ms Ivol - who had been involved in a high profile court case - has since returned home following treatment.

Her suicide bid came on the same day criminal charges of possessing, distributing and cultivating cannabis against her were dropped for health reasons.

I was just going to walk into the sea and drown, but I can't walk. I can't even go into the garage and hang myself from the beams because I'm in a wheelchair

Elizabeth Ivol

The case against Ms Ivol, 55, came after she developed a method for combining the class-B drug with chocolate, which she distributed to other MS sufferers to help ease their painful symptoms.

Speaking from her home at Craig Flower Cottage, Herston, on South Ronaldsay, she said: "I took 25 paracetamol and that didn't work I can't seem to get anything right these days."

"I was just going to walk into the sea and drown, but I can't walk. I can't even go into the garage and hang myself from the beams because I'm in a wheelchair."

Ms Ivol, who has taken delivery of her own cardboard coffin and has already made plans for her funeral, said she was no longer interested in pleas by her friends not to commit suicide.

'Numb the pain'

"I'm just spent now. My body doesn't work properly anymore," she added.

Ms Ivol insisted she would continue trying to take her own life until she succeeded, but said she was aware that repeated failed attempts might result in her being non-voluntarily placed in care.

"I'm just going to have to figure out another way of doing it, although next time I'll have to make sure I do it properly," she said.

During her trial, which was halted on the third day, Ms Ivol said she began taking cannabis to numb the pain of MS, which she described as like having "barbed wire going through my spine".

She came up with the idea for what she called her "special Belgian chocolates" after agreeing to help a non-smoking MS sufferer.

She developed a formula for the drug-laced confectionery as well as cannabis patches which can be directly applied to the skin.

Ms Ivol claimed that, after trying a long list of prescribed medication, cannabis was the only thing which gave her satisfactory relief from her symptoms.